case study
Chapter 7
Whites/Caucasians
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©2017 Cengage Learning®. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for classroom use.
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Chapter Objectives
Discuss some of the history of White ethnic groups in the United States
Describe differences in income by education levels between Whites and other racial and ethnic groups
Explain the similarities and differences between employment experiences of White men and women
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Chapter Objectives (cont’d)
Describe the aspects of “White privilege” and social class for Whites
Discuss individual and organizational measures that can be employed to include Whites in the study of diversity and to obtain their commitment to diversity in organizations
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History of Whites in the United States
History of Whites in the United States
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Whites in the United States
1820s to 1920s
Nearly 40 million Europeans migrated to the United States
Work-related clashes between Irish, German, Polish, and Italian immigrants, and residential segregation were common
“Insiders” versus “Others”
Different ethnic White groups used their invisible ethnicity to define Americans as White insiders
Blacks and immigrants of color were considered as “others” and were not to be admitted to the institutions of larger society
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Becoming “White” in America
White ethnic groups became dominant through:
Overt actions of the government
Recognition that the way to become American was to assert their Whiteness
Intermarriage with Whites that diluted the differences among White groups
Invisibility of their ethnicity
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White Privilege
Myth of meritocracy: Idea that society's resources are distributed on the basis of individual merit
Unearned privileges confer racial dominance and grant control simply due to race or sex
Failure to question and resist unearned privileges is a moral and ethical concern
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Whites as Anti-Racist Allies
History indicates that Whites have participated in the quest for equality for many ethnic groups as:
Abolitionists and hosts
Workers in the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves
Participants in boycotts, marches, and sit-ins
Educators and researchers
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Relevant Legislation
Relevant legislation
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Relevant Legislation and Cases
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Applicable to Whites since it prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and national origin
Used less often because Whites are less likely to be targeted by such discrimination
Title VII cases
Race discrimination against Whites
Discrimination against Whites in favor of Hispanics
Termination of whites for refusing to comply with discrimination against minorities
Associational discrimination
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Education, Earnings, and Employment
Education, earnings, and employment
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Unemployment Level by Educational Attainment and Race
At every educational level, non-Hispanic White men earn more than other ethnic groups
Across educational levels, White and Asian women have highest earnings
Earnings of White women are 35% less than that of White men at all education levels
Women work fewer hours and have shorter work tenures, contributing to this wage gap
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Research on Whites and Diversity
Research on Whites and Diversity
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Experiences of White Men and Women
The Naturalization Law, 1790 granted citizenship only to White men
Women were unable to own property, enter into contracts, or make legal decisions
Theoretically, formerly enslaved Black men were granted the right to vote before White women
Women experienced sex segregation, salary discrimination, and sexual harassment
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Meaning of Ethnicity for Whites
Ethnic identity: Part of an individual’s self-concept derived from memberships in certain ethnic groups
Research evidence shows that Whites with high racial identity development are most comfortable with Blacks
Better at managing diverse employee groups
Symbolic ethnicity: Invoked at will, but has little meaning in a person’s every day life
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Research Evidence
White men and women tend to have negative attitudes toward AAPs
Feel that reverse discrimination is common
During interview assessments:
White recruiters preferred White applicants
Black recruiters did not favor Black applicants
Female recruiters showed no preference
Performance-reward discrimination exists
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Similarity effect
White recruiters preferred White applicants.
Black recruiters did not favor Black applicants
Increasing diversity may be taxing to Whites and men.
Loss of status, privilege.
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Diversity and Socio-Economic Status for Whites
Diversity and socio-economic status for whites
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Socioeconomic Status (SES)
Position in a hierarchical social structure, which depends on access to or control of wealth, prestige, power
Measured by occupation, income, and education
Classism: Negative beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes directed at those who have a low SES
Many advantages extend to Whites regardless of class
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Recommendations for Individuals
Recommendations for individuals
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Recommendations for Whites
View diversity as a potential source of competitive advantage that is to be embraced rather than feared
Women in power have the opportunity to initiate changes and influence the behaviors of men
Actively work to eradicate stereotypes and dismantle unearned privileges
Serve as mentors for people in non-dominant groups
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Recommendations for Organizations
Recommendations for organizations
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Organizational Recommendations
Include Whites as active participants and allies in the diversity process to reduce resistance
Assure employees that diversity is not a zero-sum situation, but is valuable for all
Provide organizationally sanctioned mentoring programs
Formalize human resources practices
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Key Terms
Associational discrimination
Classism
Ethnic identity
Myth of meritocracy
Performance-reward discrimination
Symbolic ethnicity
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Questions to Consider
Many Whites argue that their resistance to affirmative action and diversity programs is due in part to their families’ history of not owning slaves or their not having practiced discrimination. What are some ways in which Whites who have not done these things nonetheless benefited from and been advantaged by slavery and discrimination?
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Questions to Consider (cont’d)
How does the visibility (identifiability) of groups such as Blacks and Asians contrast with the invisibility of White ethnics in shaping their organizational experiences?
Recall from Chapter 4 that many of the Whites who participated in Blacks’ struggle for civil rights were Jewish. How were the organizational experiences of Jews and Blacks in the United States similar and dissimilar?
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Questions to Consider (cont’d 1)
Is the transition of Jews and Irish from the non-White to White category surprising to you? Brodkin also discusses the transformations of Mexicans to White then back again. Were you aware of these changes? In addition to those listed in this chapter, what other changes in race occurred within the U.S. Census categorizations?
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Questions to Consider (cont’d 2)
Recall the study by Castilla that found similar starting salaries but differential salary growth for women and minorities compared to White men even when performance ratings were the same. What are some possible negative consequences for the organization if these salary differences become widely known? What specific steps would you recommend to avoid “performance-reward” discrimination?
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Questions to Consider (cont’d 3)
6a. If you are not White, do you know someone well who is White? In what capacity do you know this person (e.g., personal friend, manager, classmate, neighbor)? Do you know this person’s ethnic origin (e.g., Italian, Irish, German)? How much time have you spent with him or her? Have you thought about this person as having a race or an ethnicity? Have you discussed race, ethnicity, or other diversity issues with him or her? Explain.
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Questions to Consider (cont’d 4)
6b. If you are White, do you know your ethnic origin? How much of a role does your ethnic origin play in your everyday life, experiences, and opportunities? Can outside observers discern your ethnic origin by looking at you?
6c. How does the ethnicity of Whites differ from visible ethnic differences in its effect on a person’s experiences and opportunities?
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Questions to Consider (cont’d 5)
Individual Whites may report experiences with reverse discrimination, despite little research evidence to support it. How do such experiences affect support of or resistance toward diversity efforts? What might help such individuals to be supportive of diversity efforts, despite believing they had experienced discrimination?
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